What's in the Workstand ? ?

[David Kirk]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Can folks our size actually ride these, or is that a project for someone else? I've never been on one, or a Bike Friday..

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

This is my personal bike and it fits me just barely. According to Moulton I'm at the upper end of the user size range for this model.

They are interestingly a 'one-size-fits-all' design so one does not expect millimeter accurate fitting the same way you might with a custom road bike. I have it set up with flat bars but if I went with drop bars I could come pretty close to my ideal fit. I did not expect that.

The thing that sets the Moulton apart from any other bike on the planet (that I know of) is the space frame design and the suspension. Both are shockingly effective. The frame is bizarrely stiff especially in torsion.

And one would expect the small wheels to give a very harsh ride, and I'll bet that on a fully rigid bike that they might.....but with the front and rear suspension it really is smooth. The tires are 20 x 1.1" and with 105 psi in them the ride is very nice even over cracks and joints. It just soaks them up. You wonder where the sharp edge went after you pass over it.

The design is very old and was the work of Sir Alex Moulton who was the designer of the suspension in the original Mini from the 1960's. It used rubber cones as it's springing mechanism to allow the most interior space. The fact that that car could fit four adults inside is nutty. I've been one of those four and it's not like being in a 7 Series BMW but it's much better than one would imagine.

dave

[reuben]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

And now for something more than a little bit different. It's a Moulton TSR9. If you've never spend any time on one of these things you owe it to yourself to do it. It's a much different experience and pretty darn cool.

dave

No self-respecting stem slammer would ride that.

[David Kirk]

Originally Posted by reuben

No self-respecting stem slammer would ride that.

Sounds good. The last thing a Moulton is is a fashion statement.

dave

[skouri1]

Well, that led to some googling:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb5e46nDg5Y

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by skouri1

Well, that led to some googling:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb5e46nDg5Y

Here Alex Moulton talks about his frames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfODTyHPZdQ.

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

This is the first time I've seen one first-hand. It is very similar to the 1996 CSI that I had year before last (the cha-ching green one) and of course the Colorado II I had before that, albeit with different geometry (lower BB and lower HT relative to TT length) and thankfully external brake routing. The DT looks to be swaged a bit differently too - hard to say. I'm wondering if that was done specifically for the rider? Maybe some day I'll be able to bring this up to Bozeman and get Dave's take on it in person.... see what memories it jogs. I also don't remember the chainstays being crimped the same way on the CSI. I'm very excited to get it out on the road - just waiting for some parts and now tires to complete it. The fork and fillet-brazed half-lugs are exceptionally gorgeous as well.. Though I may have to do something about the DA headset on a Campy-sponsored bike.

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That bike is so nice. The DA headset is amazingly good. If you want a campy record headset (last gen of threaded headsets) that will fit that lovely bike let me know. I have a couple and we can arrange a trade or what not. My Colorado II with full 11 speed campy and delta brakes has a Dura-Ace 7700 headset on it. It's the only non-campy compromise on the bike.

[RudAwkning]

You ever take it off any sweet jumps?

Originally Posted by David Kirk

And now for something more than a little bit different. It's a Moulton TSR9. If you've never spend any time on one of these things you owe it to yourself to do it. It's a much different experience and pretty darn cool.

dave

[David Kirk]

Originally Posted by RudAwkning

You ever take it off any sweet jumps?

As soon as I get the "sledgehammer" decals for it.

dave

[jamesdak]

This beauty is in the workstand today. Want to do a little touch up painting to it before it's built. What I sourced seems pretty dang close to a match.

[darkmother]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

And now for something more than a little bit different. It's a Moulton TSR9. If you've never spend any time on one of these things you owe it to yourself to do it. It's a much different experience and pretty darn cool.

dave

That truss frame just does it for me in so many ways.

Hope to hear some more ride impressions from you. Is it enjoyable to ride for a tall(er) person?

How do the small wheels + suspension compare a more conventional bicycle?

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

Sounds good. The last thing a Moulton is is a fashion statement.

dave

Cool bike Dave

I will own one some day and I don't have a big list...

A friend did PBP on one in the mid 90's coming from a T. Kellogg Ti frame and loved it. So strangely zippy yet planted and fast and at the same time so parochial and British. Amazing things.

[mistermo]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

As soon as I get the "sledgehammer" decals for it.

dave

The Moulton. Is it a folding bike too, like a Brompton?

[David Kirk]

Originally Posted by darkmother

That truss frame just does it for me in so many ways.

Hope to hear some more ride impressions from you. Is it enjoyable to ride for a tall(er) person?

How do the small wheels + suspension compare a more conventional bicycle?

In so many ways it's just a bike - you pedal it and it goes and you squeeze the levers and it stops. But the super low center of mass and the very low gyroscopic force coming from the little wheels make it feel very different to a 'normal' 700c bike.

The space from design makes for a very stiff frame and you feel like it's very solid.....like without the suspension the little wheels would make it tough. But it does have a really bomber feeling.

The suspension is amazingly effective. Short travel with very little pedaling induced movement. If you get out of the saddle and ride it clumsily you can get the front to bob just a bit.

The little wheels weigh nothing so they spin up very quickly and the braking is also very good with the small wheel radius. I feared it would feel harsh and it's nothing of the sort. It has a very well damped feeling without being squishy. It's impressive.

I need more time on it to be sure but I doubt I'd want it for my only road bike if for no other reason that the fit would not be all-day comfortable for me. If I was shorter maybe but I kind of doubt it.

But it is really fun that's for sure.

dave

[David Kirk]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Cool bike Dave

I will own one some day and I don't have a big list...

A friend did PBP on one in the mid 90's coming from a T. Kellogg Ti frame and loved it. So strangely zippy yet planted and fast and at the same time so parochial and British. Amazing things.

I rode my first Moulton about 40 years ago when one was in the bike shop getting worked on. I jumped on the chance to work on it and of course it needed a extensive test ride! Back then they had 17" wheels (these are 20's) and the way it leaned and changed direction was something I never forgot.

I'd wanted one since then and kept an eye on eBay and craig's list but most were really beat and pricy at the same time. Try finding a Sturmey Archer 4 speed hub pull chain! So I contacted the distributor in the USA and told him what I did for a living and asked if he'd sell me one....and to my surprise he knew my work and offered to sell one to me. And I got very lucky in that a guy had ordered the bike but wasn't following through so he had one available. Otherwise the wait is about a year at this point.

I don't collect bikes - I ride them. And I've wanted a Moulton for the past 40 years so I pulled the trigger. For a long time I considered making my own and of course that would not be a problem....nor would it be a real Moulton so I had to have it.

The one I got is low on the price list for Moultons and I think the retail is about $2700 complete. They make some that are full on race machines with carbon wheels and Campy kits. The top of the line sells for about $20k. It would be fun to test one of those.

I don't know when I will retire....i know I won't be standing at the bench in 10 years....but 5? Maybe? But I wanted to get one of these before I did hang it up knowing that I'll have less dough then and would have to pay more. I'm glad I got it.

For me the main use will be as an autocross pit bike. I walk or skateboard many miles a day at a race and now I'll ride the Moulton. I've rigged up a bike carrier on my race trailer so I can roll the car on and secure the bike and it's off to the races. Should be fun.

dave

[David Kirk]

Originally Posted by mistermo

The Moulton. Is it a folding bike too, like a Brompton?

I don't know the Brompton very well - does it fold or break in two?

The Moulton has a bolt at the center of the X that comes out using a 6 mm allen....and then you undo the black ring below it and the frame breaks into two parts for travel or getting into a car trunk. The cables come with splitters so you can have it in two parts in about 2 minutes. The cool part os that the connection is super rigid unlike some out there.

dave